NRI: Shape Morphing Arm Robotic (SMART) Manipulators for Simultaneous Safe Human-Robot Interaction and High Performance in Manufacturing

协作机器人是与人类合作的机器人设备。目前人类安全协作机器人的解决方案无法提供许多制造任务所需的安全性。变形机械臂在运动过程中通过使连杆具有柔性来保证其固有的安全性。通过简单的智能材料作动器，机械手的上臂和下臂可以实时改变其刚度。手臂在低速时相对僵硬，以获得最大性能，在高速时高度灵活，以获得最大安全性。当碰撞发生时，柔性连杆偏转，以限制对操作人员的冲击。在低速时，柔性连杆变形为高刚度模式，以获得最大的定位精度。这项研究将显著改善安全协同机器人系统的设计，这将使许多领域受益，包括医疗保健、汽车、建筑和军事部门。它将有助于减少制造业和家庭/医院护理中的伤害，并提高家务管理的效率。工业机器人的安全问题是协作机器人实际应用的严重技术障碍。为了应对这些安全挑战，本研究通过整合三个领域的互补专业知识，提供了一个全面的解决方案：(i)柔性机构的形状变形和设计优化，（ii）智能材料的电控刚度调制，以及（iii）通过最优运动控制实现性能最大化。变形机械臂可以通过形状的变形使其刚度与运动速度相适应。它们的设计是为了安全操作，同时通过形状变形控制和轨迹运动控制保持其性能。与现有的协作机器人技术相比，形状变形机械臂具有许多优点。它有可能为人类安全的协作机器人创造一种“设计安全，控制性能”的范式转变。

Co-robots are robotic devices that work in collaboration with human partners. The current solutions for human-safe co-robots fail to offer the safety required in many manufacturing tasks. The shape morphing robotic manipulators are designed to be inherently safe by making the links flexible during robot motion. The upper and lower arms of the manipulators can change their stiffness in real-time by simple smart material actuators. The arms are relatively stiff at low speeds for maximum performance and highly flexible at high speeds for maximum safety. When a collision occurs, the flexible link deflects to limit the impact to the human operator. At low speeds, the flexible link is morphed to the high stiffness mode for maximum positioning accuracy. This research will significantly improve the design of safe co-robotic systems, which can benefit numerous fields, including the health care, automotive, construction and military sectors. It will help to reduce injuries in manufacturing industries and home/hospital nursing and improve efficiency of housekeeping. Safety concerns with industrial robots present a serious technical barrier to practical co-robot applications. To address these safety challenges, this research offers a comprehensive solution by integrating complementary expertise in three areas: (i) shape morphing and design optimization of compliant mechanisms, (ii) electrically-controlled stiffness modulation with smart materials and (iii) performance maximization by optimal motion control. The shape morphing robotic manipulators can adapt their stiffness to the traveling speed by morphing their shape. They are designed for safe operation while maintaining their performance via shape morphing control and trajectory motion control. The shape morphing robotic manipulator offers several advantages over existing techniques in co-robots. It has the potential to create a paradigm shift towards "safe by design, performance by control" for human-safe co-robots.